You're a Vernonite if you can remember . . .

[Dizzy1]

on the last day of swimming lessons the bus driver would take us down Suicide Hill on the way there and up Suicide Hill on the way back. Sitting int he back of the bus made the experience even better!

Our bus driver always did that on the last day of school before summer break ... was soooo much fun getting all that air in the back seat LOL! I couldn't imagine how depressing it must be being a kid nowadays, in such a bubble wrapped world, we had it good LOL!

[superbee]

I'd love to see some more old photos of Vernon--suicide, especially being painted by grads ( I have seen one somewhere with students in bell bottom pants), the VSS on 15th Street that has just been replaced and is being torn down, Skyway Drive In, and Harold's Star at Winter Carnival. Does anyone have time (CR, Verminator) to please dip into your old shoe boxes?

[gardengirl]

I wonder whatever happened to the carillon that used to be in the church on the corner of 43rd ave and 27(?) St.
If you were there at the right time, you could hear a melody played on the church bells. It was magical.
I don't remember what church it was, maybe United?

[GO4it]

It was St. John's Lutheran Church. It moved to Alain Road many years ago. Not sure if the carillon is still being used.

[gardengirl]

It was St. John's Lutheran Church. It moved to Alain Road many years ago. Not sure if the carillon is still being used.

Thanks. I always remember rolling down the car windows on the way by on the off chance the bells were ringing.

[superbee]

They used to have a lovely Nativity Scene every Christmas back in the 60`s and maybe earlier.

[Marrs51]

I am sure the following link to the NFB's "Home Town Paper" will be well viewed by this forum and hopefully some can Identify some of the more obscure places and people


http://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/staffprofile ... -nfb-1948/

[Dizzy1]

I am sure the following link to the NFB's "Home Town Paper" will be well viewed by this forum and hopefully some can Identify some of the more obscure places and people


http://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/staffprofile ... -nfb-1948/

Now that was a very cool video, thank you for posting it. Ineteresting to see how life was back then, how the town and life has really changed ... some for the better and some for the worse.

On a side note, the narrarator sure did remind me of a 1948 Morgan Freeman LOL!

[GordonH]

I am sure the following link to the NFB's "Home Town Paper" will be well viewed by this forum and hopefully some can Identify some of the more obscure places and people


http://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/staffprofile ... -nfb-1948/

A church near the beginning looks like this one here https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Vernon,+ ... 73.65,,0,0

Than the National hotel http://www.flickr.com/photos/45379817@N08/8317177840/

The park is Polson, the best way to tell is hill is background is now the home of VGH on top.

High school mentioned I believe was named Clarence Fulton, it could have had a different name in the 1940's.

So few places I recognized, thank-you for posting this video

[superbee]

What a Treasure. Thank you for this walk down Memory Lane. Wonderful to see St. James Catholic Church, as we remember it, before they changed the front steps. It was really something to see a bride and groom come along those steps, and pause for photos. The lovely stone Post Office on its corner, before it was demolished. All those beautiful trees shading Barnard, just as we remember them. Clarence Fulton High School in Polson Park, and the big checkerboard we played on as kids. I wondered what was behind demolishing the brick city hall, and replacing it with the gray stucco box Allison Hotel. This film answered that question. Great to see shots of the orchards and bare hills around the area and around the city. What a difference 60+ years has made.

[GordonH]

If you click on first picture on this page linked here http://www.vernonmuseum.ca/ar_result.ph ... and%201979 it should be showing Village Green Mall under construction 1974 and surrounding area.

Here a picture from Google earth:

[GordonH]

So did you know Vernon had ski jump on hillside seen here: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Vernon,+ ... 87.59,,0,0

Click on the second picture down on this link here http://www.vernonmuseum.ca/ar_result.ph ... and%201929

[Verminator]

I am sure the following link to the NFB's "Home Town Paper" will be well viewed by this forum and hopefully some can Identify some of the more obscure places and people


http://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/staffprofile ... -nfb-1948/

Of all the wonderful things people have posted in this thread this one is at the top of the heap, thank you so very much for sharing it with us. It's amazing how an actual clip of life in Vernon 65 years ago can showcase how drastically things have changed, and not all for the better.

I loved seeing some of the old landmarks Vernon was well-known for, some still standing like the St.James Catholic Church and others long gone. I often imagine how different downtown Vernon would be if the powers-that-were hadn't destroyed that beautiful, historic old stone post office building with it's distinctive clock tower. IMO that was one of the more shameful 'planning' decision ever made in this town. The one thing that never seems to change is short-sighted politicians.

About half-way through. the film shows a paper-boy heading down a hill on his delivery run and there are a few street scenes of him as well. Can anyone identify where they are? The houses look like the area near downtown south of 30th Ave between 38th and 39th streets.

[coldfinger]

Around 19:20 in the film, there's the shot of the newspaper boy delivering papers. I believe this is 26th Street, between 25th and 24th avenues.

The house at 2:14 is at the corner of 39th Ave and 26th St. Far more leafy and attractive porch on it, then now.
St. James comes in right after, at 2:31.
View of Coldstream valley at 2:55.
Fulton High school (when it was in Polson Park) at 12:57.
The old post office at 19:56. This stood where Brenda Hala's Photography is now.

[Verminator]

Around 19:20 in the film, there's the shot of the newspaper boy delivering papers. I believe this is 26th Street, between 25th and 24th avenues.

The house at 2:14 is at the corner of 39th Ave and 26th St. Far more leafy and attractive porch on it, then now.
St. James comes in right after, at 2:31.
View of Coldstream valley at 2:55.
Fulton High school (when it was in Polson Park) at 12:57.
The old post office at 19:56. This stood where Brenda Hala's Photography is now.

On your first point, you'll notice the area at about 19:30 in the film appears very flat and level and you can see what looks like part of Mission Hill in the background (upper left in the frame). 26th Street in the area you mention is hilly and looks totally different.

That view of the Coldstream Valley looks like it was taken from the top of Middleton Mountain. I don't think there was much in the way of roads in those days so it must've been quite a job for the film crew to get up there.

This wonderful old film makes me wish I lived in Vernon in those days, sigh.....